Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/329

Rh RICHARD, ASKIIAH. 317 RICHMOND. It is situated on the rivers Irvine and Cessnoclc, and was made a burgh of barony in 1638. It formed part of Craiyii; till 1648, and was designated Richards-town, Wallace's brother Richard, who had a scat at Yardsides. It consists mainly of one long street almost Donnecting it with the town of Kilmarnock, of which it may be considered a suburb. The principal seats are Cuprington Castle, Treesbank, Shawhill, Dollars, Bell- field, and Hilrig. RICHARD, ASKHAM. See ASKHAM - RICHARD, Ainsty of York. RICHARD'S CASTLE, a par. partly in the lower div. of Hunslow hund. co. Salop, and partly in the hund. of Wolphy, co. Hereford, I miles S.W. of Lud- low, its post town, and 3 from the Woofferton railway station. It comprises the tnshps. of Woofferton, Over- ton. Batchcott, and Moor. The village, which is chiefly agricultural, was formerly a market town under the Mortimers by grant from King John, but both the market and fair have long been disused. It is situated on the old road from Ludlow to Leominster, near the Kington canal, which passes to the S.E. of the village. Hero are the ruins of the keep and walls of a castle erected prior to the Conquest by Richard Scropo. It was near this spot that Colonel Birch routed the Royal- ists in 1645. The tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of 650, and there are 109j acres of glebe. The living is a rect.* in the dioc. of Hereford, val. 745, in the patron, of the Bishop of Worcester. The church, dedicated to St. Bartholomew, has a detached tower, the spire of which has been burnt down. There are some stained windows. A school is supported by the rector. In this parish is a spring, called Boney-well, from the circumstance that numerous small fish or frog bones are cast up by its waters in spring and autumn. RICHARDSTOWN, a par. in the bar. of Ardee, co. Louth, prov. of Leinster, Ireland, 1 miles E. of Ardee, its post town. The surface extends along the S. bank of the river Dee, and is traversed by the road from Ardee to Annagasson. The soil is mostly good. The living is a vie. in the dioc. of Armagh, val. withStaban- non, 162, in the patron, of the Vicars-Choral of St. Patrick's Deanery. In the Roman Catholic arrange- ment this place is united to Dunleer. Richardstown Castle, still used as a residence, is a place of considerable antiquity. Near the village are ruins of a chapel and a holy well. RICHARDSTOWN, a hmlt. in the bar. of Middle- third, co. Tipperary, Ireland, 7 miles S.E. of Kille- naule. RICHBOROUGH CASTLE, a Roman ruin in the par. of Ash-near-Saudwich, co. Kent, 2 miles N.W. of Sandwich, and 3 E. of Wingham. It is situated on a hill near the river Stour, and was built by the Romans to command the port of Rhitupte or Jl'ilitpitf, their usual landing-place on this coast. The northern wall, which is the most perfect part of the ruin, is 560 feet long by 23 feet high, and 1 1 feet thick, with remains of towers and gateways, and the foundations of an amphitheatre 210 feet in diameter. RICHHILL, a post town in the par. of Kilmore, bar. of West O'Neilland, co. Armagh, prov. of Ulster, Ire- Li, <1, 4 miles N.E. of Armagh, and 64 N.W. of Dublin. It is a station on the Belfast and Armagh railway. The town is situated on the road from Armagh to Belfast, and on the river Tallwater. It consists of two chief thoroughfares, containing some well-built houses, and formerly enjoyed an important linen trade, which has declined of late. There are meeting-houses for Presby- ns, Friends, and Wesleyans, likewise an endowed achool and a dispensary. Castle Dillon and Hockly ': are in the neighbourhood. RICHMOND, a par. and flourishing town in the first div. of Kingston hund., co. Surrey, 9 miles from Hyde Park Corner, 12 W.S.W. of St. Paul's, London, by road, or 16J by the river Thames, and 10 1'V the Windsor section of the London and South- western railway, which has a station here. Itanciently formed part of the parish of Kingston, when it was called Sheen, or West Sheen, and was for a long period a royal residence under the Plantagenet kings. Edward III. died here, and Chaucer was surveyor of the works in the reign of Richard II. Henry V. considerably added to the beauty of the place, and Henry VII. rebuilt the village after it had been destroyed by fire in 1498, and willed it to be hereafter called after his own title. This last monarch entertained King Philip, of Spain, and died here a few years after having rebuilt the royal palace. Soon after his accession, Henry VIII. held a tournament here, and subsequently entertained the Emperor Charles V. at Richmond palace. The king afterwards gave it to Cardinal Wolsey, and subsequently to Anne of Cleves, from whom it came to Edward VI. The Princess Elizabeth was detained for some time a prisoner here by order of her sister, Queen Mary, and took such an affection for the place that she frequently visited it after she became queen, and died here in 1603. In the following reign it was given to Prince Henry, and afterwards to the king's second son, Prince Charles, who enclosed the Great Park, of upwards of 2,200 acres, or 8 miles round, for hunting. This is now popularly called Richmond Park. The palace was almost wholly destroyed by the parliamentary troops, and what was left, with the exception of a few offices still standing, was pulled down in the following century. The site has since been built upon. Richmond is situated on the right bank of the river Thames, and is one of the prettiest places in the immediate vicinity of the metro- polis. The population in 1851 was 9,065, with 1,534 inhabited houses, which in 1861 had increased to 10,926, with 1,841 inhabited houses for the parish, but 7,423 inhabitants within the limits of the town. The town is well built, supplied with water, and lighted with gas. There are many dwellings and seats in the neighbourhood, such as the Duke of Buc- cleuch's, Lords Onslow's, Sidmouth's, Mount Edg- cumbe's, Fitzwilliam's, and others. Earl Russell lives at Pembroke Lodge,^ close to the entrance of the park. There are a few malthouses and breweries, and some market gardens and nursery grounds. The " Star and Garter " hotel has lately passed into the hands of a Limited Liability Company, who have enlarged it to more than twice its original size ; it has a great reputa- tion, and is a favourite place of resort, more especially for the " upper ten thousand." There is a stone bridge of five arches across the Thames, which connects Rich- mond with Twickenham. It was completed in 1777, and cost upwards of 25,000. The Vesleyan Theological 1 nstitution on Richmond Hill is a collegiate establishment for the education of candidates for the ministry; it is in the Tudor stylo of architecture, with tower and wings, and is 248 feet long by 65 wide. There are also a literary institution, a mechanics' institute, savings-bank, and a theatre, built in 1720 ; likewise bath rooms, a parochial library and reading-room. Its Poor-law Union com- prises Barnes, Kew, Mortlake, Petersham, and Richmond, with an area of 5,200 acres, and the poorhouse has 200 inmates. There are also several almshouses, which include Duppa's, Hickey's, Houblon's, and MicheU's. The old park adjoining the Green is still the abode of royalty. At the White Lodge, which was given by George III. to Lord Sidmouth, the Prince of Wales used to reside before his marriage some time during the year ; it is how similarly occupied by the Duke of Edin- burgh, the second son of Queen Victoria. There are large herds of deer in the park, but the Old Doer Park, adjoin- ing the gardens, is now let out for grazing. The obser- vatory, erected by Sir William Chambers in 17G9, is still here. In 1855, a cemetery was laid out S.E. of the town. Sir Joshua Reynolds lived in a house on Richmond Hill. Gainsborough, Collins, and Thomson were also residents. The board of guardians and the magistrates meet every Saturday. Omnibuses and trains run frequently to London, and likewise steamers during the summer season. Richmond is the headquarters of the First Royal Surrey Militia. The living is a vie.* with the cur. of St. Matthias annexed, in the dioc. of Winchester, yal. 500, in the patron, of King's College, Cambridge.